Managing a frozen ski boot
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So it's negative 40 outside and your beloved 130 flex boot is more like a block of cement or north of say 200 flex! What do you do? This is just a quick note on managing frozen ski boots, especially for ski racers.
Removing a screw
Some would recommend that you remove one of the screws at the back of the boot, for race boots that have that option.
Just so you understand my math about that screw: a 130 boot at -40 is like a 200 flex or more - removing a screw reduces the flex by 10, so you get a 190 flex. You can see why I’m skeptical that it's worth contemplating that idea.
There are other things more important about managing a frozen boot.
Top buckles
One is not tightening the top buckles very tight and rely more on the strap. That will make the boot significantly easier to manage when frozen, especially in GS.
The point is that the flex is given mostly by the front of the cuff and the back of the cuff - in reality it is more complex, as the lower cuff is the one that actually offers the flex, but for the purpose of this discussion, we can focus on the skier's interaction with the upper cuff.
Loosening the top buckles will allow you to use just the back of the cuff and simplify forward movement of the tibia, until forward enough to rely on the front of the cuff. That may allow just enough extra range of movement to be able to then effectively use the boot, when it's frozen.
I am known to undo up the top buckle only, in these conditions, and leave the second buckle at it's normal setting, while the strap stays in place as is - or slightly loose.
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